Growing Up with Media — Hard

Q1. Consider the following two statements about interactive technology and choose the correct option. Statement I: Media is considered as a cultural tool for mediating social interactions. Statement II: This framing makes Vygotsky's socio-cultural theory relevant to contemporary communication researchers.

• A. Both Statement I and Statement II are correct, and Statement II correctly explains Statement I
• B. Both statements are correct, but Statement II does not explain Statement I
• C. Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect
• D. Statement I is incorrect but Statement II is correct

Q2. Mr. Verma, a class 8 teacher, notices that one of his students has unusual eye movements, a frown on the forehead, lowered concentration and frequent absenteeism over several weeks. What do these signs call upon Mr. Verma to develop?

• A. stricter discipline and a punishment chart for the student
• B. a referral form to send the child out of the school
• C. a 'third eye' to notice when things go amiss and to understand what is going on in the child
• D. additional homework so the child is too busy to misbehave

Q3. Ashie, a class VIII student, has become unusually silent at home, never answering back when her father scolds her, even though earlier she always replied. Probing reveals her grandmother has 'trained' her to remain silent because all wives are scolded by their husbands, and made her watch serials that reinforce this. This case is best read as illustrating

• A. the positive role of joint families in adolescent socialisation
• B. construction of gender stereotypes through TV serials and the family — with the teacher needed as agent of social change
• C. successful enforcement of school discipline at home
• D. evidence that TV serials have no impact on adolescent behaviour

Q4. Aditya, a class VIII boy, wants to be a model when he grows up and has stopped studying seriously, saying 'to be a good model you do not need to be good at studies and models earn more than these studious studs.' The most accurate teacher-response is to recognise that

• A. adolescence is a stage of rebellion and the teacher is in a far better position than the parents to shape the young mind in the right direction
• B. the boy is correct and should be left alone to pursue modelling without further study
• C. the school should immediately suspend him until he resumes studies
• D. such cases are too rare to be addressed by the school

Q5. Which one of the following is NOT a way traditional gender stereotypes appear in advertising?

• A. females shown in submissive roles or very provocative roles wearing seductive clothing
• B. females generally shown as product users rather than as competent authority
• C. females shown either doing domestic work or in a home environment rather than at work
• D. females shown as the central voice of scientific and technical authority

Q6. Sonia, a class IX girl, is emotionally attached to a TV character; her academic interest has fallen and she is overly concerned with looks, dresses and competing with three girls of the serial. Her class teacher notices these changes, probes gently and helps her. The teacher's right action is best described as

• A. demanding that Sonia stop watching TV at home
• B. asking Sonia to switch schools to escape the influence
• C. viewing the student as a growing individual and piercing through the 'invincible barriers' adolescents weave around themselves
• D. publicly shaming Sonia in class to discourage the imitation

Q7. The relationship between media and obesity is described as a 'vicious cycle'. Which of the following best captures both loops of that cycle?

• A. pencil-slim or zero-sized figures glamourised by media create body-image anxiety, while long hours sitting before the TV cause physical lethargy and obesity
• B. advertising directly teaches healthy eating and exercise habits to all adolescents
• C. media reduces screen time by replacing TV with outdoor sports broadcasts
• D. children get more sleep and balanced food due to media exposure

Q8. Rohan, a timid 15-year-old in class IX, is being physically abused and bullied by an overgrown classmate for months. He cannot tell teachers or parents. One day, after watching a TV programme, he confides in a mature friend and lures the bully to the toilet to take revenge. This case most directly illustrates which warning given to teachers?

• A. video games improve adolescents' hand-eye coordination
• B. co-viewing with peers prevents all violence
• C. many juveniles admit they were motivated to commit a crime by watching TV or reading about it; teachers must keep explaining that media violence is for entertainment only and not for realistic problem-solving
• D. TV programmes are now a substitute for school counsellors

Q9. Anitta, an 11-year-old class V girl, is gradually showing withdrawal — not interacting in class, becoming absent-minded, crying often and spending more time before the mirror. Probing reveals people had poked fun at her looks in a photo she had posted online. The most accurate diagnosis and intervention are

• A. ordinary adolescent rebellion; ignore until exams are over
• B. trauma of cyber bullying on the web; the class teacher should talk to her gently and help her see the difference between the real world and the online world
• C. a learning disability; refer her to a remedial class for slow learners
• D. a sign of giftedness being suppressed; promote her to a higher class

Q10. Read the assertion and reason and select the correct option. Assertion (A): Many adolescents go to unknown sites and seek validation from anonymous users to confirm that 'they are ok'. Reason (R): Denial of such validation may result in a severe identity crisis because they do not get this confirmation from parents, teachers or other significant people in their lives.

• A. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
• B. Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
• C. A is true but R is false
• D. A is false but R is true

Q11. Which of the following is NOT among the issues in-service teacher training workshops should equip teachers to notice in adolescents?

• A. social withdrawal — less interaction with fellow-students
• B. loss of concentration, less interest in schoolwork and absenteeism
• C. decline in physical health and increased negative self-perception
• D. sudden rise in academic ranking and over-participation in school events

Q12. Shama's parents complain that the 13-year-old has become aggressive and disobedient and refuses food. Probing by the school counsellor reveals classmates teased her for acne and putting on weight, and she said, 'When I see all those beautiful girls on TV, I get angry with my mother for not making me beautiful.' The role of teachers and parents here is best described as

• A. to enforce a strict diet plan and ban TV at home immediately
• B. to reassure the child about her perceptibly wrong body image and respect her opinions and feelings as a hypersensitive adolescent
• C. to scold the classmates publicly and forget the child
• D. to leave the matter entirely to the school counsellor without further parental or teacher involvement

Q13. A class 7 teacher claims, 'All video games are harmful for adolescents and should be banned at school and home.' Which of the following is the most appropriate response?

• A. The teacher is fully correct — bans all forms of video games
• B. The claim overstates the case — when played in moderation, such videos have improved children's motor skills, hand-eye coordination, problem-solving skills and creativity
• C. The teacher is correct only for girls but not for boys
• D. Has no view on video games at all

Q14. Among the parental strategies for shaping adolescents' media use, which one emphasises the ordinary, day-to-day fabric of parenting rather than one-off rules?

• A. buying the latest gadgets so the child feels included with peers
• B. leaving the child to figure online behaviour out alone
• C. installing only educational channels and never discussing content
• D. making regular dialogues an integral part of everyday parenting

Q15. Read the two statements about adolescents' online lives. Statement I: Many adolescents view their online and real-time identities as identical, and this can be a recipe for disaster. Statement II: They do have the impulse control to understand the damage they can do to themselves online. Which of the following is correct?

• A. Both statements are correct
• B. Statement I is correct; Statement II is incorrect
• C. Statement I is incorrect; Statement II is correct
• D. Both statements are incorrect